not weaken that testimony so much as might at first be apprehended; for, even admitting that the apostle meant by the phrase, things in heaven and things on earth,' Jews and Gentiles, yet it deserves to be borne in mind, that these expressions include all mankind, since, in the apostle's view, Jews and Gentiles would comprehend the whole of the human race, there being no description of persons which would not be classed by him under one or other of these divisions. Mr. Locke's own paraphrase of the 6th verse is, To the end that all mankind might magnify his glory for his abundant goodness to them.' If the Jews and Gentiles include all mankind, how far does the interpretation suggested by Mr. Locke limit the sense of the passage? May it not still be understood to declare, not only that under the gospel dispensation Jews and Gentiles are admitted to equal privileges, but also that it is the gracious purpose of God to restore all mankind to a state of perfect virtue and happiness, and thus to unite all under one head, namely, Jesus Christ? This passage must be understood to refer to some future change, universal in its extent, and happy in its consequences; for at no period since the advent of the Messiah have these been united together in one under him. All do not, and never have acknowledged his mild and benevolent sway. Sin and misery still dispute and always have disputed the government of the world with him. But are we not by this passage encouraged to believe that, in the dispensation of the fulness of times, every disposition which opposes him shall be destroyed, and that, different as men's character and condition may be at present, they shall all then become his willing subjects, and be rendered holy and happy? And, as Christ will be the means of effecting this glorious work, may not all mankind in this sense, be said to be gathered together in one under him? If there be no reason for restrict ing this passage to a more limited signification, does not this sense best accord with the diffusively-benevolent spirit of the gospel, with the character of God as the kind Father and wise Governor of mankind, and with many other passages of scripture? However, in the language of that great man and excellent Christian, whose words on a similar occasion have just been cited, and, I trust, with something of the spirit with which he wrote them, I would say, that of this interpretation I would not be positive, but offer it as a matter of inquiry to such who think an impartial search into the true meaning of the sacred scripture the best employment of all the time they have.' The same observations I would apply to the similar passage, Colossians, i. 19, 20, It hath pleased the Father, that in him all fulness should dwell, and, having made peace through his blood shed on the cross, that by him he Would RECONCILE ALL THINGS TO HIMSELF; that is, all intelligent creatures.'-Newcome. —By him, I say, whether they be things on earth or things in heaven.' It is highly proDable that the phrase, things on earth or things in heaven,' signifies Gentiles and Jews. But, since Gentiles and Jews comprehend all mankind, it seems just to take this passage in its most extensive sense, and to consider it as affirming, that it has pleased the Father to appoint Jesus Christ to be the great instrument of reconciling to himself the whole hu man race. And, if this be so, how can the intention of the Father be accomplished, if the greater number of human beings remain for ever at enmity with him, and execrate his name through all eternity, or if they are blotted out of existence because a reconciliation could not be effected between them? That remarkable passage in Romans, v. 1221, has already been considered in the last chapter; but it must be again brought under review in this. 'As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and thus death hath passed upon all men, in as much as all have sinned: (for until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law; nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is a resemblance (a type) of him that was to come: yet the free gift likewise is not so, as was the offence; for if through the offence of one, many have died, much more the favour of God, and the gift which is through the favour of one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. Neither is the gift so, as it was by one who sinned; for the judgment was of one offence to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences to justification. For if, by the of fence of one, death reigned by one, much more those who receive the abounding of fayour and of the gift of justification will reign in life by one, even Jesus Christ.) So then, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; so, likewise, by the righteousness of one, the free gift hath come upon all men to justification of life. For as by the disobedience of one many were made sinners, so, likewise, by the obedience of one many will be made just. Now the law entered in privily, so that offences abounded. But where sin abounded, the favour of God hath much more abounded; that as sin hath reigned through death, so favour likewise might reign by justification to everlasting life by Jesus Christ our Lord.' In this passage, all men are said to have been made mortal by the offence of Adam, and here the phrase, all men,' must necessarily be understood to signify every individual of the human race. Though the style of the apostle in this passage is remakably intricate and perplexed, yet his meaning is clear, and can scarcely be misunderstood. He affirms that sin entered into the world by Adam, and that, in consequence of his offence, death passed upon all men, or all men became mortal. Thus many were made sinful or mortal by one In this sense, Adam was a type of Jesus Christ; for, as all mankind became subject to great privation and suffering, in consequence of the offence of one, namely, Adam, so the greatest privileges and blessings are bestowed | piness. By one passage of scripture, then, upon all mankind in consequence of the obedience of one, namely, Jesus Christ. But it is only in this single circumstance, that all suffer and all are benefited by one, that there is any analogy between them; for in every other respect there is the greatest possible difference between Adam and Christ. The act entailing such important consequences upon the whole human race was on the part of Adam an act of transgression on the part of Christ an act of obedience. And there is a still further disparity between them; for the calamities resulting from the act of transgression were the legal punishment of the offence; but the blessings accruing from the act of obedience were not such as could be claimed by law, but were the free, unpurchased, unmerited gift of God. And the consequences of the act of transgression and the act of obedience may be placed in still more striking contrast; for the act of transgression was but one, and yet death, with all the calamities connected with it, passed upon the whole human race, while the act of obedience provides justification for many offences. Nor is this all; for the blessings procured for mankind by the obedience of Christ are unspeakably greater than the calamities brought upon them by the offence of Adam. This is undoubtedly the argument of the apostle. Notwithstanding all the obscurity and perplexity of his language, whoever reads the passage with attention must perceive that these are the ideas which were in his mind. And in the whole compass of Christian truth there is no doctrine more important or more glorious than that which is thus disclosed. It is a direct and positive declaration, that the blessings provided by the obedience of Christ shall, in the number of persons who partake of them, be co-extensive with the calamities produced by the offence of Adam, and in their magnitude and value shall greatly exceed them. This is sufficient; this is decisive. These ideas were in the mind of the apostle. This is the doctrine which he plainly and indisputably teaches, and nothing more is necessary; for, even though it should be proved that he illustrates his doctrine by a fanciful allusion to what was in itself only an allegory -that his reasoning is not in every respect complete, and even that he did not himself fully comprehend all the glorious consequences of the sublime truth he disclosed, that truth would be neither the less important, nor the less certain. The great fact itself-the fact which it was his object and his office to teach, and in which he could not be mistaken, was, that the blessings produced by the obedience of Christ shall be as extensive as the evils occasioned by the offence of Adam-that all who suffer from the one shall partake of the benefits of the other, while these benefits themselves shall infinitely exceed and overbalance the calamities entailed upon mankind by the first transgression. The conclusion is inevitable, that the whole human race, without exception, shall ultimately be restored to virtue and hap at least, the doctrine which it is the object of this work to establish is positively and expressly affirmed, and this is decisive. But this passage is of great importance in another view. It may be justly considered as confirming, in no inconsiderable degree, the interpretation which has been suggested of the passages in Ephesians and Colossians; for in this passage it cannot be doubted, that, while it is the object of the apostle's reasoning to show that all mankind, whether Jews or Gentiles, are alike participators of the divine favour, and included in the gospel dispensation, it likewise follows, from his argument, that it is equally the intention of the benevolent Author of this dispensation, to bestow immortality upon the whole human race, and to advance them to a state of pure and perfect virtue and happiness. I omit 1 Timothy, iv. 10, ii. 3, 4—1 John, ii. 2-Philippians, ii. 9-11-Hebrews, ii. 8— which were formerly adduced as proofs, that all mankind will ultimately be placed in a state of virtue and happiness. All these passages, indeed, seem perfectly to harmonize with this opinion, but some of them I now think too obscure to be alleged in proof of any controverted doctrine; and all of them, it is probable, relate to a different subject than that of the future condition of mankind. There is, however, another passage, which still appears to me expressly to the point, and decisive of it, namely, 1 Corinthians, xv. 21-29: For since by man came death, by man also cometh the resurrection of the dead. For as through Adam all die, so likewise through Christ all will be made alive. But every one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterwards those that are Christ's at his appearance. Then will be the end, when Christ shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power: for he must reign till he have put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy shall be destroyed, even death. For "he hath subjected all things under his feet." But when it is said, "All things are subjected," it is manifest that he is excepted who subjected all things to him. And when all things shall be subjected to him, then the Son himself also will be subjected to him who subjected all things to him, that God may be all among all.' Although it may be difficult to ascertain the exact meaning of certain parts of this passage, yet it appears to me to contain a clear and positive annunciation of the sublime and glorious truth, that the consummation of the divine dispensations will be the extinction of death, and sin, and misery, and the universal and eternal prevalence of immortality, virtue, and happiness. For since by man came death, by man also cometh the resurrection of the dead. For as through Adam all die, so likewise through Christ all will be made alive.' It is evident,' as Mr. Belsham observes, that the apostle here assumes, as the foundation of his analogy, the account of the fall of man, as recorded in the book of Gene sis, and argues upon it as literally true, that, according to this account, all the posterity of Adam, the whole human race without exception, were victims to mortality, in consequence of the fall of their first parents in Paradisethat, according to the same account, as all were sufferers through him, so all shall be raised to life, and restored to that state of dignity and happiness from which Adam unhappily fell that thus Christ shall amply repair the ruins of the fall, and, the second Adam completely efface the dishonour and misery entailed by the first.' lowers, shall be transformed into the likeness of his glorious person, and shall enter with him into the joy of their Lord.' From the remaining part of this passage, although it may not be possible to ascertain with certainty and precision what is meant by the kingdom with which Christ is entrusted, and which he shall ultimately deliver up to the Father, nor in what sense he shall become subject to him who subjected all things to him-yet we may safely deduce the following conclusions: that, after the resurrection of the just, Christ will be invested by the Father with authority and power to accomplish some great purpose with regard to mankind—that that purpose can be nothing but the completion of the wise and benevolent design of the divine government, in the total abolition of the calamities introduced by the fall-that the ac constitutes the end, the grand consummation of all things, and that, though this consummation will be opposed by numerous and potent enemies, yet that Christ will exert the power with which he is invested, until he has utterly subdued them, when, having completed the end for which authority was delegated to him, he will willingly resign it into the hand of the Gracious Parent, the Universal Sovereign, from whom he received it, who shall then be come forever all things to all his creatures. This appears to be the clear and express doctrine of the passage, and if it be so it is decisive. The ultimate and universal preva Mr. Belsham, in his excellent commentary on this passage, further remarks, that it is very plain, that the resurrection of which the apostle treats in this celebrated chapter is the resurrection, not of a chosen few, of a select number, whether greater or less, but that of the whole human race. The apostle's lan-complishment of this gracious purpose alone guage is so clear and full, with respect to the final happiness of those who are thus raised, and that their resurrection to life will be ultimately a blessing, that the generality of Christians have supposed that he is here treating of the resurrection of the virtuous only. But this is not the fact. He evidently speaks of the restoration of the whole human race-All who die by Adam shall be raised by Christ-otherwise the apostle's assertion would be untrue. The case, then, would have been this: As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall a select number, a small proportion, be made alive. But this is not the apostle's doctrine. His expressions are equal-lence of immortality, virtue, and happiness, is ly universal in each clause. ALL die in Adam. The same ALL, without any exception, without any restriction, shall by Christ be restored to life, and ultimately to holiness and everlasting happiness. And, to guard against the abuse of this doctrine, he proceeds to declare, that all will not be admitted at the same time to the participation of final happiness; for, though all men will be restored to life, and raised to happiness, all will not be made happy at once, but each will be advanced as he becomes qualified for his reward, till in the end the enemies of Christ shall all be subdued, and his authority shall be universally acknowledged and obeyed-but every one in his proper class, not all at once. There will be a gradation in the introduction to final blessedness, depending upon the characters of those who are to partake of it, "Christ, the first-fruits." He is already raised to life, and his virtues, his labours, and his sufferings, have received their reward. He is the glorious first-fruits, the specimen and the pledge of the final and universal harvest. "Afterwards, they who are Christ's at his coming." The true disciples and community of Jesus, all the upright and virtuous in every age and country, will next be raised to life and happiness, and this joyful event will next take place at that long-expected period, when Jesus shall appear again in his own and in his Father's glory, invested with the high commission to raise the dead and to judge the world, when the dead in Christ shall rise first, and, being acknowledged by him as his friends and fol 13 thus plainly disclosed, and asserted with all the energy and dignity worthy of the exalted theme. It is thus evident, that the power with which Christ is invested is not given him in vain, but will be completely effectualthat his triumph will be perfect-that there is no rule, no authority, no power which is opposed to him, which he will not utterly abolish, no enemy which he will not put under his feet. But the enemies with which he is at war, the enemies which it was the labour of his life, the object of his death, and the end of his present exaltation, to exterminate, are, sin and misery, and death, the consequence of sin. And over these we are assured by this passage that he will completely triumph. The consequence is certain. The conclusion is inevitable. Immortality, holiness, and happiness, must in the end universally prevail. How else is it possible that these declarations can be accomplished? How can Christ put down all the rule, all the authority which is opposed to him, if a malignant and omnipotent spirit (called the devil) succeed in making the great majority of mankind his victims, and through the ages of eternity exercise all uncontrolled dominion over them? How can Christ subdue all things unto himself, if this malevolent being and his agents eternally counteract and oppose him? How can God be all in all, if the greater number of his creatures incessantly execrate his name, and vent the most horrid blasphemies against him? How can death, the last enemy with which he conflicts, be destroyed, if it succeed in blotting I 145 out of existence for ever millions of millions of human beings? The only idea it is possible to annex to the destruction of death is the prevalence of life; but, if (to repeat what has already been said) death effect the total and eternal extinction of the conscious existence of the great majority of mankind, it is not vanquished-it is the victor; it is not destroyed-it triumphs. There appears to be no reason whatever for restricting the application of this passage solely to the righteous, as with a view of avoiding the force of the preceding observations, some have contended, because the context does not require this limitation-because the expressions which the apostle employs are of too universal a signification to admit of it, and because it is difficult to conceive that any thing but the wish to support a system could have suggested the idea, or indicated the necessity of it. Such is the scriptural evidence in favour of the ultimate and universal prevalence of holiness and happiness. All the passages which have been cited appear necessarily to imply the truth of this opinion; to some of them it seems impossible to affix any other meaning. There is not a single passage in the Old or New Testament which does not perfectly harmonize with this doctrine; but several of the most striking, impressive, and cheering assurances of scripture are totally incompatible with the opinions which oppose it. With the highest and noblest conceptions we can form of the nature and dispensations of the Deity, with the nature of man and the nature of punishment-in a word, with all that natural and revealed religion teach concerning God, concerning his human offspring, and concerning a future state, it perfectly accords. With this body of evidence in its favour, and with no real counter-evidence of any kind to oppose it, it may surely be considered as established. duct, it is only necessary to convince them that it will terminate in their ruin. If men cannot be restrained from vice by the apprehension of a reasonable and just degree of punishment; it is vain to hope to deter them by menaces, which they are satisfied are both unreasonable and impossible. To suppose that they will encourage themselves in sin, from a persuasion that the misery which they must inevitably bring upon themselves in consequence of it will terminate in their reformation, is to imagine that they are insane as well as vicious, and to betray the baseness of our own hearts, by showing that we form a worse opinion of mankind than the worst of men deserve. Indeed, it is hardly conceivable, that the reasonable and just, the solemn and impressive sanctions which the Christian religion gives to the Christian law would be attended with no greater moral benefit than it is to be feared they are, were they always scripturally enforced. It requires, however, but little acquaintance with human nature, to know, that, in order to render the fear of punishment availing in the hour of temptation, it is absolutely necessary to satisfy the mind both of its equity and certainty. The passions of the heart never were, and never can be, counteracted, either by actual injustice, or by unreasonable menaces; and to teach that an eternity of suffering will be the consequence of the slightest offence, is to open the floodgates of sin, to deprive the mind of the most powerful motives to struggle against its improper inclinations, and even to stimulate it to the pursuit of the unhallowed objects of its desire, by forcing it to suspect the weakness, if not to doubt the reality of the checks by which it is attempted to restrain it. Were there, therefore, no other argument against the doctrines of Endless Misery and of Total Destruction, than that afforded by their tendency to lessen the sanctions of morality, by destroying the fear of punishment, this alone would be sufficient to justify a distrust of their truth. If any one should fear that its inculcation may lesson the dread of future punishment, and thus operate to the disadvantage of piety and virtue, the apprehension must originate The effects of the unamiable doctrine of in a misconception of the doctrine, or an igno- Endless Misery, and of its kindred opinions, rance of human nature. To teach men that on the temper and conduct, have been strikingthey will be visited with a just degree of pun- ly depicted by an able advocate of the doctrine ishment for the sins they commit-that every of destruction. According to men's sentiments deviation from rectitude, even the slightest of God, and of the designs and measures of his and the most secret, that every improper feel-government,' observes Mr. Bourn, in his Dising and thought which is cherished, must course on the Gospel Doctrine of Future punishbring with it a proportionate degree of suffering, ment, such hath been the influence of religion must inevitably do so, unless the constitution on their temper and conduct. And, if they have of the mind and the whole frame of nature be not framed to themselves a God after their changed that those who indulge in the least own evil hearts, they have framed their own degree in vice must necessarily, in all situa- hearts agreeable to that false and evil charactions and at all seasons, be the worse for it, ter which they were taught to ascribe to God. and that, if they continue in a vicious course And when they have believed the Deity to to the end of life, both the nature of the case, love and hate, to elect and reprobate, nations, and the repeated and solemn declarations of parties, or individuals, without reason or regard scripture assure us that the pain they will be to the ends of good government, they themselves made to suffer in a future world will be most have become more arbitrary, bigoted, fierce, severe and lasting-to suppose that such doc- unmerciful, and more addicted to hate and trine will encourage sin, is to imagine that persecute their fellow-creatures, all who are men can be enamoured of misery, and that, not of their own church, and whom they sup to excite them to any particular course of con-posed to be reprobated of God. It is hardly credible, that inhumanity and can be done to reclaim the unhappy offender? cruelty would ever have been carried to such What means can be taken to enlighten his excess in the Christian world as they actual-mind and meliorate his heart? What discily have been, had they not derived countenance and support from these antichristian and barbarous notions. Tyrants and persecutors, if they have not invented these doctrines, yet have applied them to excuse to their own consciences, and to vindicate to others, the most iniquitous and cruel proceedings; and when they had made the very worst use of their power, in persecuting good men-at least men who deserved no such punishment -they have persuaded themselves and others, that they were acting like the Deity, espoushis cause, and maintaining his character and his glory. pline is best adapted to his mental and moral disorder? What will lead him back to virtue and to happiness most speedily, and with least pain? Such is the feeling of the mind enlightened by the generous doctrine we have endeavoured to establish. Could it but enter the heart of every legislator-did it but guide the hand that constructs the cell of the poor captive-did it apportion his pallet of straw and his scanty meal-did it determine the completeness and the duration of his exclusion from the light of day and the pure breeze of heaven-did it apply his manacles, (if, disdaining to treat a human being with more inThe court of inquisition, as established in dignity than is practised towards the most many countries, and as far as it differs from savage brutes,' it did not dash his chains to civil courts of judicature, is declared by the the earth,) what a different aspect would these authors and maintainers of it to be the nearest miserable mansions soon assume! What difimitation of the divine tribunal, and it is avow-ferent inhabitants would they contain! Priedly founded upon and justified by the doctrines of reprobation and of eternal torments. Jews, infidels, and heretics, are judged in that court to be criminals, and are condemned. And how do they vindicate this procedure, but by supposing them to be all reprobated and abhorred of God? And they execute them, not by a quick despatch, but by the most lingering torments. And what do they plead for this cruelty, but that it is an act of faith-that they are doing the work of God, and that he will expose those wretches to the like torments for ever? Thus they conquer nature by faith, as they express it; that is, they extinguish all sense of justice and relentings of mercy in their own nature, and harden themselves in iniquity and barbarity, by the belief of those very doctrines we are exposing, and by them they defend themselves in the face of the world, and give a colour and sanction of religion to the most enormous wickedness.' sons would not then be the hotbeds of vice, in which the youthful offender grows into the hardened criminal, and the want of shame succeeds the abolition of principle, but hospitals of the mind, in which its moral disorder is removed by the application of effectual remedies. The person who habitually contemplates all mankind as children of one common Father, and appointed to one common destiny, cannot be a persecutor or a bigot. He may see much error which he may lament, and much misconduct which he may pity; but a generous affection towards the whole human race will dilate his heart. To the utmost of his ability, he will enlighten the ignorant, correct the erring, sustain the weak, bear with the prejudiced, and reclaim the vicious. Firm to his own principles, he will not trench on the liberty of others. He will not harshly censure, nor suspect an evil motive where integrity and conscience obviously direct the conduct. Mildness will be on his lips, forbearance will mark his actions, and universal charity will connect him with the wise and good of all climes, and of all religions. The doctrine, on the other hand, which it is the object of the preceding pages to establish, discloses a principle which is more benevolent in its tendency, and which, were it properly felt, and invariably regarded in the He who believes that a Being of almighty affairs of life, would have a happier effect on power, unerring wisdom, and unbounded love, society than any other opinion which has is seated at the helm of affairs, and is making ever engaged the attention of men. It leads every event promote, in its appointed measure, to a distinction which is but beginning to be the highest happiness of all intelligent creaobserved, even by the intelligent and enlight- tures, must possess perpetual serenity and ened, and which, when it shall come to be peace. The storm of adversity may gather general, will alter astonishingly the moral above him and burst upon his head, but he is condition of the world. It leads to an exact prepared against it, and it cannot dismay him. discrimination between the criminal and the He knows that the evils which encompass crime. While it inspires us with abhorrence him are only blessings in disguise. The fair of the offence, it softens the heart with com- face of nature smiles upon him with a brightpassion for the unhappy condition of the offen- er radiance. The boundless expanse of hea der, induces us to do every thing in our pow-ven above him, the painted plain beneath him, er to change it, to give him better views and the glorious sun which diffuses light and life better feelings. When we hear of the perpe- over the ample and beautiful creation, are tration of a crime, we are too apt to think only magnificent gifts of his Father, on which his of punishment. What suffering can be too enlightened eye beholds engraven the promise great for such a wretch? is the exclamation of his higher destiny. The narrow precincts which bursts from almost every lip. The senti- of the tomb can neither bound nor obstruct his ment is worthy of the unlovely doctrines which enlarged view. It extends beyond the circle produce and cherish it. A more benevolent of the earth, and reaches to that celestial Bystem would excite a different feeling. What world, where progression in excellence is infi |